Breathe in, breathe out. Sense the entirety of the universe within you, past, present, and future all actualized in this one moment. Just as the entirety of the moon is reflected in a single dewdrop, so is the Truth reflected in one's soul...

Hayazo began every day with an hour of meditation. He had learned quickly that clearing his mind like that was the only way to make himself receptive to swordsmanship, which is why he had gravitated towards this school in particular. He didn't learn through the skill-and-drill practice that was so common throughout the land; he learned by putting himself into a mental state that was appropriate for learning. After meditating, he was always able to understand the master's words more clearly and could feel the movements of his body much more precisely. In fact, the quality of his technique seemed to be inversely proportionate to the time since his last meditation. But now he was refreshed, and it was time to begin the day. The other students would probably be arriving soon, if they hadn't already, so he made his way out of the building and into the entrance and greeted the few people that were there with a bright and cheerful "good morning!"